We kick off 2019 by looking at THE biggest film of 2018. One of those instant #CultreClassics, Black Panther.

In the Spring of 2018 a different kind of user hero flick launched and changed the game forever. For us, by us, Black Panther, the story of an African Prince turned kKing trying to find his way and protect his people, to put it simply, took over the world.

And here are the numbers: Black Panther grossed $700.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $646.9 million in the international box office: That’s $1.347 billion total. It became the highest-grossing solo superhero film, the third-highest-grossing superhero film overall, the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time, and the highest grossing film by a black director and the 33rd film to ever break $1 billion. Oh and the highest-grossing film of 2018.

And of course the film’s impact on The Culture was/is even more profound. The movie brings a beautiful vision of positivity to a group of people who are rarely the centerpieces of Hollywood movies. Plus, what we know from the research on racial and ethnic socialization is that it helps to strengthen identity and helps reduce the likelihood on internalizing negative stereotypes about one’s ethnic group and Black Panther with it’s miriad of talented black creators for The Culture in front and behind the camera provided that positivity on a scale almiost never seen in popular culture before. From the strong black female leads to the costuming to the slang, #WakandaForever has become a permanent part of The Culture.